Reproduction Abstracts

In dairy cows, post-partum uterine inflammation caused by Gram negative bacteria (e.g. E. coli) suppresses follicular function and reduces fertility. LPS is an endotoxin that is present on outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria. Furthermore, LPS is detected in follicular fluid (0.04–0.88 μg/ml) of cows with endometritis. This study tested the hypothesis that LPS would decrease the formation of luteal endothelial cell (EC) network and progesterone ...

Dairy cow fertility has declined over the past 50 years coinciding with increased milk production. Uterine health is an important factor with endometritis prevalent in high-yielding dairy cows. This study assessed the association between uterine disease on reproductive performance in 78 commercial UK dairy herds. Data from 59 118 lactations (n=29 157 cows) was collected from 2000to 2009 and included presence of uterine disease, calving date, and insemination informati...

Dairy herd fertility is in decline and poses a significant economic problem, with associated animal welfare concerns. One factor that may contribute to this decline is exposure to environmental chemicals (ECs) some of which have endocrine disrupting activity and have been linked to declining fertility in other species. We hypothesised that ECs are present in bovine ovarian tissue at levels able to perturb luteal development and function. The tissue content of DEHP and a panel ...

Introduction: This study investigates the effect of dietary crude protein on the cellular composition of the 98 days bovine placenta.Materials and methods: Primiparous 14-month-old Bos. indicus cross heifers in Australia (n=350) were individually fed isocalorific high (H; 14%) or low (L; 7%) CP from day −60 prior to conception to 23 days post conception (dpc). At 23 days post-conception the two groups were further split into high ...